therapy@promise

I arrived back from holiday in January 2016, very ill and I was immediately admitted to Hospital. They diagnosed me as having undergone a frank psychosis, likely caused by anxiety.  Upon discharge I found my way to Gemma's door.  I have never used a counsellor before, I didn't know what to expect and to be honest I was a lttle sceptical.

 

At the first meeting, Gemma made my husband and I feel very relaxed.  I went on to have a further eight sessions on a weekly basis.  Each session built on progress from the last.  I left each one with specific objectives and by the end I felt massively improved psychologically.

 

Throughout, Gemma looked at actives ways to help me manage anxiety - I always felt she was providing a safe and calming environment.  Gemma is not a miracle cure - I still go through occasional periods of anxiety. But I am back to living my life, as I want & travelling without fear.  For that I have Gemma to thank'.

 

A story of recovery from a female client we supported.

 

 

I was recently referred to Gemma after suffering from anxiety at work. Gemma took the time to really understand the way I was feeling and helped me to understand the triggers for my anxiety. Her friendly and sympathetic nature really helped me open up, to honestly discuss my daily worries and anxieties.

 

Her patience ensured we moved at a speed I was comfortable with. Gemma took both a pragmatic and theoretical approach to solving my anxiety; using a mixture of textbook theory and practical advice, which took account of the realities of day-to-day life.

 

I now feel much more confident in challenging my own thoughts, using the skills that I learnt with Gemma.

 

Some personal words from a young man, who came to us for some help.

 

I contacted Gemma because I really wanted to stop biting my fingers, to the extent that they were really sore and painful. I have had some therapy before so I knew that this particular behaviour was part of a broader set on anxieties.

 

I did start the sessions wanting a fast and magic fix to this particular physical issue, but after a few weeks our discussions helped me see better where the behaviour was coming from, helping me to deal with the wider self-esteem and confidence issues that lay underneath.

 

Just having the time to be able to talk openly about the issue, the potential root causes and learn some practical ways to handle it were incredibly beneficial.

 

I now rarely bite my fingers and when I do, I understand why and I don't beat myself up about it! 

 

Gemma creates a very warm, friendly and supportive environment that helped me explore and resolve issues that otherwise were festering and making life miserable, when it didn't have to be this way!

 

The recovery story of a lady  who learnt to overcome her difficulties.